Your brain changes all of the time. Throughout your entire life your brain adapts in response to your experiences and the environment. There is an infinite number of ways that your brain can rewire itself, but it is up to you and how you spend your time (e.g., novelty seeking, working through challenges) that will have a direct impact on how your brain is wired and functions. Tune in to learn about your brain’s unique ability to change itself and approaches you can use to optimize your brain’s performance.

Read the show notes: https://www.brainshape.ca/podcast/peak-brain-andrew-hill

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Dementia is not a normal part of aging. Dementia (an umbrella term) is a neurodegenerative brain disorder that is characterized by various cognitive symptoms, including declines in memory, difficulty with language, communication challenges, and issues with problem solving. This episode covers insights about dementia and the many challenges faced by caregivers of loved ones with dementia. If you are currently caregiving for someone with dementia, listen to this episode for valuable resources and suggestions of online support communities.

 

Read the show notes: https://www.brainshape.ca/podcast/dementia-angela-gentile

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We could all use an additional spark of joy in our lives. With increasing age, there can be loss, but turning grief into joy is possible. We all have a spirit of joy deep inside that wants to wake up and grant our true heart’s desire. Our guest, Dr. Jacqueline Thea, calls this spirit your fairy grandmother within. Transform grief, find hope, and stir healing.

 

Read the show notes: https://www.brainshape.ca/podcast/spark-joy-jacqueline-thea

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Happy 1-year Anniversary, BrainShape Podcast! In this episode, we celebrate being on the air for one whole year by sharing some of Dr. Andrea Wilkinson’s favourite moments. If you are enjoying the content covered in this podcast, please help us grow the show by sharing it with your network and by subscribing, rating and reviewing the podcast on Apple Podcast. We couldn’t have asked for a better first year and we are so excited to see what the future has in store. Will you be joining us on the journey?

 

Read the show notes: https://www.brainshape.ca/podcast/happy-1-year-anniversary

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Depression in older age is a specific mental health condition that warrants further discussion. We live in a youth-oriented society that sends incorrect messages about aging and how one should feel during the aging process. The misconception that getting old is bad, gloomy and depressing is damaging for a multitude of reasons, but one particular damaging impact is the under diagnosis of clinical depression in this population. Depression is a tremendous source of suffering, disability, and poor health outcomes that needs to be diagnosed and treated. Tune in to learn more about depression and aging. 

 

Read the show notes: https://www.brainshape.ca/podcast/beat-depression-to-stay-healthier-gary-moak

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This episode concludes our two-part series on how to combine the best of Western and Eastern medicine for optimal health. Our guest, Dr. Catherine Kurosu, trained as an acupuncturist and subsequently integrated this modality into her medical practice. Hoping to raise awareness of the benefits of this approach to well-being, she has co-authored a series of books called “True Wellness.” This episode covers part 2 (conclusion) and we’ll be talking about how sleep and stress impact the health of your brain.

Read the show notes: https://www.brainshape.ca/podcast/true-wellness-catherine-kurosu-part-2

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The next two episodes will be a series that covers the topic of how to combine the best of Western & Eastern medicine for optimal health. Specifically, you'll learn how your everyday choices (e.g., exercise, nutrition, & stress management) impact your health & wellness, & the important roles sleep & stress play in how your brain functions. This episode covers part 1 where you’ll be introduced to our guest Dr. Kurosu & learn how different lifestyle behaviours impact health & what you can do about it.

Music is incredibly powerful. Some songs – when played – can open up a floodgate of memories & emotions. To help us learn about music & the brain, this episode features a book called, “This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession” by Dr. Daniel J. Levitin. Using quotes from Dr. Levitin’s book, this episode covers how your brain perceives & interprets music. Other topics discussed include why music is so powerful to our human experience & the unique ways it gets embedded into memor

As you age, your brain undergoes normal structural & functional changes. One of these changes includes shrinkage of your hippocampus – your brain’s memory centre. Research shows that – on average, as you age - your hippocampus shrinks around 1-2% per year. But, there are lifestyle behaviours that can help protect your brain against normal age-related changes. Exercise has been shown to benefit the brain in many ways. For one, physical exercise has been shown to increase the size of your hippocampus.

Women in midlife have a tremendous amount of value, knowledge and inspiration to share. But, it takes a lot of courage to put yourself out there and be your true, authentic and magnificent self. In this episode, we talk to a 50+ year-old blogger on a journey of self-discovery and a mission to help other women connect with themselves to live a fierce and vibrant life.